Broken Heart Syndrome

Individuals can die from a broken heart. Although the concept of actually dying from a broken heart used to be thought of as an old wives' tale, there is now evidence that one's heart can suffer a severe and sometimes fatal physiologic consequence after a severe emotional stressor. The body's response to stress, both positive and negative stress, is the release of stress hormones or catecholamines that can have varied and extreme effects on the body. Stress cardiomyopathy, otherwise known in lay terms as broken heart syndrome, occurs when the cascading effects of catecholamines lead to changes in the cardiac system, particularly the coronary arterial system and/or the cardiac cells, which can lead to cardiac dysfunction. With prompt diagnosis, including an accurate history of a recent emotional stressor, this condition can be treated and is reversible in most cases. But in the small percentage of cases that may be fatal, those individuals do indeed die from a broken heart.